A Conversation with Jackie Ortiz: Holding Space & Creating Community

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A Conversation with Jackie Ortiz: Holding Space & Creating Community

This is the 11th post in the “A Conversation With” series, where I interview talented folks about their areas of marketing expertise. You can read past entries in the series here.

This month, I interviewed Jackie Ortiz, a social media professional who currently does community at Doist and runs her own business, Sarap Tees. We discussed community management, lessons learned from the nonprofit and for-profit sectors, and how marketers can play a role in the pursuit of equity at their companies. I hope you enjoy her insights!

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Headshots Matter. Here's Why.

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Headshots Matter. Here's Why.

The first time I had a headshot taken, I was 21 and starting my first office job after undergrad. I was working at my alma mater and the university photographer snapped a quick photo in front of a generic backdrop in his basement cubicle. I didn’t love the end result, but hey, it was just going up on our department’s website and nowhere else, so no big deal, right? A “meh” headshot wasn’t the end of the world, but it was a missed opportunity.

As my career has progressed, I’ve come to learn the value of a great headshot. It can make you feel way more confident and awesome as you market yourself online! For awhile, I used a black and white headshot an intern at another job took, but it never felt like me. When I finally got headshots I loved, it made a world of difference! I recently got new headshots and love them so much, which got me thinking about what makes a great headshot and how often you should update them. I figured I wasn’t the only one who has wondered about these things, so I talked to some of my photographer friends to get their best insights and tips!

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A Conversation with Elise Miklich: Thoughts on Authenticity and Mental Health

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A Conversation with Elise Miklich: Thoughts on Authenticity and Mental Health

This month, I interviewed my good friend Elise Miklich. If you’ve been reading this blog for awhile, you may remember that Elise and I co-presented together at Upstate Social last year! She and I often talk about authenticity on social media, and how to care for your mental health when you work in social media, so those are the topics we explored today. I hope you enjoy her insights!

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How to Apologize When Your Brand Messes Up

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How to Apologize When Your Brand Messes Up

2020 has been a hell of a year. Between the ongoing pandemic and the fight for racial justice, there is a lot to be outraged about. For many consumers, that outrage comes out readily when a brand or business they love behaves badly. It creates disappointment, anger, disillusionment, and distrust. This holds especially true for small businesses that find themselves in the throws of being called out for toxic, harmful, and racist behavior. As businesses grapple with balancing how to hold itself accountable it is important to be mindful of what actions help and what actions hurt in the wake of a public call out. No matter what, no brand or business is above being held accountable for their actions and the first step should always be a sincere apology.

As a business owner, how can you apologize to your customers in an authentic and impactful way? What actions do you need to take to ensure things change and you make it right? Let’s explore that together.

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How to Set up a Business Profile on Instagram

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How to Set up a Business Profile on Instagram

Business Instagram accounts offer many benefits not available on plain old personal Instagram accounts. With a business account, you can access a variety of marketing tools like analytics, ads, contact options, appointment booking, and swipe up links in your Stories if you have over 10,000 followers. Today on the blog, we’ll be exploring the benefits of using a business account and how to set one up, whether you’re brand new to Instagram or converting over from a personal account.

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How to Review Your Facebook Insights

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How to Review Your Facebook Insights

Today we’re continuing our series on reviewing your analytics. Previously, we’ve covered all things Twitter analytics and Instagram Insights. Next up: the world of Facebook Insights. Many people lament that organic reach is down on Facebook and that it’s become a pay-to-play platform. In some respects, that’s true. But even if your reach is low, you can still get great engagement with your audience. That’s why it’s important to regularly track and assess what’s working and what’s not. Without further ado, let’s dive into how to review your Facebook Insights.

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A Conversation with Jayde Powell: Tips for Building Human Connections Online

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A Conversation with Jayde Powell: Tips for Building Human Connections Online

This is the eighth post in the “A Conversation With” series, where I interview talented folks about their areas of expertise, whether that’s social media, communications, or PR. You can read past entries in the series here.

This month, I interviewed Jayde Powell, social media professional and Twitter networking queen, based in Atlanta, Georgia. We discussed what good community management looks like, how to network on Twitter, and making human connections online. I hope you enjoy her insights!

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A Conversation with Katya Ryabova: Getting Started with Google Ads

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A Conversation with Katya Ryabova: Getting Started with Google Ads

This is the seventh post in the “A Conversation With” series, where I interview talented folks about their areas of expertise, whether that’s marketing or advertising. You can read past entries in the series here.

This month, I interviewed Katya Ryabova, owner and founder of SMM Headquarters, based in Toronto. We discussed who should be using Google Ads, how to get started with them, and other best practices. I hope you enjoy her insights!

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50 Social Media Terms You Should Know: A Glossary to Guide You

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50 Social Media Terms You Should Know: A Glossary to Guide You

Social media is constantly changing, and it can be hard to keep up. There’s a lot of jargon in the marketing industry as a whole, and the social media niche is jam-packed with its own befuddling buzzwords. To make it all a bit more accessible, I’m walking you through 50 social media terms you should know.

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Social Media in the Time of Coronavirus

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Social Media in the Time of Coronavirus

We sure are living in some strange, uncertain, and scary times. I don’t profess to be an expert in navigating life in the time of coronavirus, but I wanted to at least offer some of my thoughts on how to handle social media during this weird era. In the past couple weeks, I’ve seen some thoughtful posts, some entertaining ones, and some truly cringey ones. It’s no easy feat to figure out what to post on social media right now, but here are some guidelines that I’m trying to keep top of mind as I craft social content for my clients.

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